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Recognition of diplomas

As countries have different education and qualifications systems, employers and higher education institutions abroad may not necessarily understand your qualifications.

Applying for evaluation/recognition of your credentials will make it easier for you and organisations abroad to view your qualifications in relation to those of the educational system of the country in question.

Recognition of academic qualifications may also be useful if you are applying for admission to higher education, including Ph.D. programmes. There are two types of recognition in Norway: general recognition and specific recognition. Both involve assessment of foreign qualifications against Norwegian higher education qualifications. Some professions also require authorisation before you can start practising in Norway.

If you wish to obtain recognition of the level and scope of your studies, you should apply to the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) for general recognition of your education. NOKUT can grant you ECTS credits and, if applicable, give general recognition of your education/degree as equivalent to a Norwegian Bachelor’s, Master’s or doctoral degree.

Specific recognition of a foreign degree is used by individual institutions to determine whether a higher education from countries outside Norway is equivalent to a specific Norwegian academic discipline/subject or degree. Specific recognition involves assessment of foreign qualifications in relation to specific subjects offered and degrees awarded at an institution. It is up to each institution to determine individually whether the foreign qualifications satisfy the specific requirements regarding the breadth and depth of the subject or degree. You do not need to have obtained general recognition of your qualifications before applying for specific recognition. To obtain specific recognition, foreign qualifications must be well documented in the form of course descriptions, reading lists and any written theses.